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26Student ExchangeThe hardest adjustment to make at the beginning wasovercoming the noise pollution, the humidity andstrong air conditioning. “To get the most out of theirexperience, exchange students need to be outgoingand open-minded, and should be able to adapt to theculture,” she says, adding that “they must rememberto take a camera too, as so many things are differenthere.”Having honed her Putonghua skills further by taking anintermediate course at PolyU, Ms Lengauer hopes toone day work in a capacity that will allow her to bringChinese tourists to Europe so they can experiencesomething similar to what she has just been through –a truly memorable, life-altering few months.Vivian NgSHTM exchange student at theUniversity of Houston, Conrad N.Hilton College of Hotel and RestaurantManagement, USAThree weeks after Vivian Ng arrived forthe Fall Semester her dormitory wasevacuated and the college shut to facethe onslaught of hurricane Rita. For oneweek she rode out the storm at afriend’s house, 45 minutes away fromthe campus. “Hurricane Rita came soonafter hurricane Katrina, so people werevery panicked and worried. But in theend, it was much better than expected with not muchdamage,” she recalls.The experience did not tarnish Ms Ng’s impressions ofthe southern state. To the contrary, it promptedgreater bonding between her classmates, culminatingin a truly memorable experience. “I became muchmore independent because I had to get used to doingeverything on my own,” she says. “I think mycommunication skills also improved because I met somany people from different parts of the world.”Experiencing a more casual teaching manner thatencouraged students to ask questions, Ms Ng learnedabout leadership in the hospitality industry, facilitiesand housekeeping management, and tourism andbeverage management.When she graduates in hotel management next May,Ms Ng hopes to develop a career in either the hotel orairline business. “If given the opportunity, I woulddefinitely go back to Houston. It was fun.” No doubtshe will time her next visit to avoid the hurricane season.Daisy WongSHTM exchange student at NHTVBreda University of AppliedSciences, the NetherlandsWhen Daisy Wong’sSpring Semester cameto an end herinternational and localfriends at the NHTVBreda University ofApplied Sciences clungto each other and cried.“The best part was meeting people and cultivating deepand meaningful friendships,” says Ms Wong. Sharing ahouse with four other exchange students in acompound that was home toother international students,she made friends withundergraduates from Spain,Greece, Germany and the US.“The experience changed mea lot. It showed me adifferent way of life. Before Iwent on the exchange, Ialways thought Hong Kong was the best, but afterreturning I realised how much we can learn from othercountries. It really changed my perspective of the city,”she explains.Ms Wong says that the differences between Dutch andHong Kong students were huge. “Dutch students willmake efforts to balance their studying and relaxation,whereas the Hong Kong focus is typically on studyingand making money. People in Europe really know howto treasure life, and as a result have a much higherstandard of living. I think people in Hong Kong are toowork focused.”Ms Wong hopes that she will have the opportunity tosee more parts of the world in the future. She isexpected to take up a one-year job posting with theHong Kong Tourism Board following graduation in2007, as part of her scholarship agreement with thebody three years ago.HORIZONS